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Are You Being Served

Are You Being Served? was a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the men's and women's department at a large fictional London store called Grace Brothers. The episodes rarely leave the department floor, and if they do they generally don't leave the store. To parody the stereotype of the rigid British class system, characters rarely address each other by their given names, even during off hours. The initial main characters included:

• Mr Humphries (menswear assistant, played by John Inman), whose ambiguous sexuality is used as a catalyst for many comedic situations and one-liners.
• Mrs Slocombe (ladieswear senior assistant, Mollie Sugden) who frequently changes the colour of her hair, and who always seems to have trouble with her feline, named Tiddles. She often refers to her pet cat as "my Pussy", with statements full of double entendres the she herself completely misses.
• Captain Peacock (floorwalker, Frank Thornton), who considers himself above the assistants with both his position and his dubious military record.
• Miss Brahms (ladieswear junior, Wendy Richard), cheeky to Mrs Slocombe and known for her Cockney accent, sometimes unintelligible to the person with whom she is speaking.
• Mr Rumbold (manager of the floor, Nicholas Smith), bald, obnoxious and jug-eared.
• Mr Lucas (1972-1979, Trevor Bannister), Mr Spooner (1981-1985, Mike Berry) (menswear junior). A randy young man who is chronically late for work with always a creative excuse.
• Mr Grainger (1972-1977, Arthur Brough), Mr Tebbs (1978, James Hayter), Mr Goldberg (1979, Alfie Bass), Mr Klein (1981, Benny Lee), Mr Grossman (1981, Milo Sperber) (menswear senior)
• Mr Mash (1972-1975, Larry Martyn), Mr Harman (1976-1985, Arthur English) (Maintenance). Both maintenance personnel who have no fear of their superiors, and who have a thorough knowledge of store operations and union workers' rights.
• Young Mr Grace (1972-1981, Harold Bennett), Old Mr Grace (1981, Kenneth Waller) (store owner) - both of whom were old and neither was all that bossy to other members of staff - hence Young Mr Grace's catchphrase "You've all done very well!"

Are You Being Served? featured mostly obvious humour based on sexual innuendo, misunderstandings and mistaken identity, as well as many costumes (usually in order to encourage business. Many jokes surprisingly also confronted the English class system - for example those directed to Mr Mash or Mr Harman. Characters traded-on such well-worn stereotypes as the effeminate Mr Humphries who lived at home with his mother, the haughty floorwalker, and the snobbish and boistrous Mrs Slocombe.

The series has become very popular in America on PBS stations. There have been several short-lived spin-offs including Are You Being Served? (in Australia), and Beanes of Boston (an American version that was never broadcast). In 1977, an Are You Being Served? movie was released using the same characters and cast.

Episode List

All episodes are in the order they were first aired. Each season's first airing is shown alongside it.

Season One (1972/1973)

• The Pilot Episode
• Dear Sexy Knickers
• Our Figures Are Slipping
• Camping In
• His and Hers
• Diamonds Are A Man's Best Friend

Season Two (1974)

• The Clock
• Cold Comfort
• The Think Tank
• Big Brother
• Horrah for the Holidays

Season Three (1975)

• The Hand of Fate
• Coffee Morning
• Up Captain Peacock
• Cold Store
• Wedding Bells
• German Week
• Shoulder to Shoulder
• New Look
• Christmas Crackers

Season Four (1976)

• No Sale
• Top Hat and Tails
• Forward, Mr. Grainger
• First Practice
• Fifty Years On
• Oh, What a Tangled Web
• The Father Christmas Affair

Season Five (1977)

• Mrs. Slocombe Expects
• A Change is as Good as a Rest
• Founder's Day
• The Old Order Changes
• Take-Over
• Goodbye Mr. Grainger
• It Pays to Advertise

Season Six (1978)

• By Appointment
• The Club
• Do You Take This Man?
• Shedding the Load
• A Bliss Girl
• Happy Returns

Season Seven (1979)

• The Junior
• Strong Stuff This Insurance
• The Apartment
• Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person
• The Hero
• Anything You Can Do
• The Agent
• The Punch and Judy Affair

Season Eight (1981)

• Is it Catching?
• A Personal Problem
• Front Page Story
• Sit Out
• Heir Apparent
• Closed Circuit
• The Erotic Dreams of Mrs. Slocombe
• Roots?

Season Nine (1983)

• The Sweet Smell of Success
• Conduct Unbecoming
• Memories are Made of This
• Calling All Customers
• Monkey Business
• Lost and Found

Season Ten (1985)

• Goodbye Mrs. Slocombe
• Grounds for Divorce
• The Hold-Up
• Gambling Fever
• The Night Club
• Friends and Neighbours
• The Pop Star